General W.K. Wilson Bridge repairs may take months, Satsuma community helping drivers navigate

MOBILE, Alabama-- Travel on the General W.K. Wilson Bridge, locally known as the Dolly Parton bridge, at northbound Interstate 65 is still limited to one lane after a fiery crash a week ago that left one man dead.

At midday Thursday, traffic flowed smoothly alongside concrete barriers separating traffic from the damaged side of the roadway that is just under a mile past the "Dolly Parton" section of the bridge. The 6-miles-long bridge spans the Mobile, Middle and Tensaw rivers, stretching from Mobile County on the south end to Baldwin County to the north.

Vince Calametti, department of transportation's southwest region engineer, told Alabama Media Group that eight inches of the bridge deck will have to be replaced as a result of both the heat and longevity of the fire from the May 22 accident. The repairs will likely take months to complete.

As of Thursday, plans for how to tackle the project and plan for closures of the bridge that will be necessary to complete the task are still underway.

"It's a huge undertaking," said Lee Reach, transportation operations manager. "We are still working on the plans for the repair and getting schedules together," he said.

Dozens of stacks of concrete barrier "rails" were lined up nearby on Thursday, and ALDOT took to Twitter to say that the department is readying to "shift traffic" and split the southbound lanes in two so northbound traffic can still flow when repairs do take place. Cleared, grated paths were also visible and construction cones piled up near the end of the bridge.

Reach said that the cost estimate will not be known until more surveying takes place and plans are finalized to get the bridge back up and running.

Workers who operate the last truck stop before the bridge heading northbound said that they're ready to help people cope with traffic snarls.

She said that most drivers didn't know about the bridge being closed until they saw the traffic last week, and that they're warning them about it being cut down to one lane.

Otherwise, truckers hear about it on their radios from their colleagues. "I heard about it on my CB," a truck driver identified only as "Roody" said while he refueled on coffee at the Pilot.

For truck drivers, a one-lane bridge presents a heightened risk if their cargo is too wide.

Reach said that trucks with loads wider than 12 feet must take an alternate route.

Signs are posted miles in advance warning trucks to take a different exit if their load is too wide.

The signs direct them to take a detour by taking exit 19, where that Satsuma Pilot is located, as well as a Waffle House restaurant.

At the Waffle House, waitresses are also warning their customers. "We get a lot of travelers," Waffle House employee Angela Barnes said. "I've told them the two ways I know to get around it," she said.

Reach also cautioned that drivers traveling over the bridge need to adhere to the speed limit posted of 45 mph to ensure safety of crews on the scene as well as limit the risk for other accidents.